Nut Brown Ale | Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)

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Reviews by PaulfromNoVa:

I fear this review brands me as a philistine. Or perhaps the bottle I had was gassed. Batch stamp, but no date. Poured at 45 degrees into a standard glass pub pint.

This ale sits pretty in the glass: thick, foamy head of not-fine bubbles, dark, aged copper body, carbonation roiling and welling up thickly as form a Deepwater-Horizon type blowout.

Delightful nose. All suggestion, nothing overpowering. Nutty, not very hoppy, some toasty malt. Created keen sense of expection.

Poof! Gone. Thin mouthfeel, swirling around in my piehole, waiting for a flavor epiphany, studying the reaction of my tastebuds, wondering when everything is going to kick in. Very dry, slightly hoppy, very little other sensation, and very fleeting at that. I don't have a cold or any taste malfunction: it's just that very little registered, with no finish to speak of. When it was down the hatch all traces of flavor went with it. Does that mean "clean"? That's why I think it might have been the bottle, sitting as a single in a shop fridge, for perhaps a long time.

It's very easy drinking. And I'll certainly give it another go on another day.

More User Reviews:

I really don't see how this is a 100 for the bros. That means they drank this beer and decided that there was no other beer better than this....THE QUEST IS OVER?!?? But seriously, it is a good beer, but far from "perfect" and not worth the money in my humble opinion.

Presentation: 12 oz clear bottle that has gold foil on top, no freshness date to be found.

Appearance: Deep reddish brown chestnut in colour with a caked on lace.

Smell: Nutty aroma ... a mix of sweet and grain with a hint of butterscotch.

Taste: Smooth with a creamy textured mouth feel coming from the medium body. Sweet up front then leaning more towards dryish nutty finish. There is an underlying buttery flavour from the Yorkshire yeast and a sufficing hop bitterness that seem to do a good job of putting the missing pieces together for this brew.

Notes: Truly one of the best brown ales in the world ... this is the cast and mold for lots of brewers trying to come up with a nut-brown ale. The lasting nutty finish leaves a pleasing hazelnut or walnut aftertaste.

Appearance  Yes, its brown, albeit with a ruby hue. The tan head came up quite nicely as well. It looks like a soft pillow cushion.

Smell  This one is balanced for sure. The sweet malt aroma and floral hops come together just right. The caramel undertones and musty nature of the nose are great.

Taste  Boy, did this hit the spot. The hops come out a tad bigger at the taste, but the beautiful malt flavor is there as well. There also seems to be a good amount of butter and a faint hint of oak.

Mouthfeel  This was the ales strong point, IMO. Maybe I was just parched, but I couldnt put this thing down. Its medium-bodied and dry enough to quench, but the incredible balance just kept me wanting more. There was also just enough carbonation to keep things lively and interesting.

Drinkability  With only a 5.0 ABV I let er rip after making my tasting notes. I downed this bottle in a New York minute and will be sure to pick up a few more this weekend. You gotta love a beer thats this good and that they sell in the supermarket.

Comments  I felt the key to this ale was its balance. I enjoy the one-sided extreme beers as well, but this one was right on the mark. By far the best Brown Ale that Ive tried to date.

Clear brown pour with thin tan foam. Aroma of caramel and biscuit with a slight, not-unpleasant astringency. Flavor is remarkably balanced - sweet caramel malt offset by a semi-dry nutty finish. This is smooth and delicious. A favorite of the style.

I just realized I haven't done a rating for this favorite, even my girlfriend that doesn't usually like beer enjoys it. I don't usually pair beer with anything, but this goes great with chocolate. I get notes on scent and taste of roasted nuts, honey, caramel, and coffee. Decently smooth mouthfeel. It has everything I like in a beer.

OK in keeping with the all 5's advice I had to go with 4.5. Add another .5 here.

The appearance of this beereminds me of Ancient Times in beer land. Dark with a generous amount of foamy goodness rising out of the top of the Pint and standing on it's own a full inch and a half above the rim.

Smells like chocolate and Pumpernickel bread. I am not a person with good sinuses though and it may smell completely different to other people.

Tastes like the Nectar of the Gods. Really. This is one of the most temperature tolerant beers on my shortlist.
You know when other things are going on you may not get back to your beer right away! So it is good warm or cold. I think you could put some in a cup and warm it in the microwave and it would still taste like fresh pumpernickel bread. Some nutty flavor almost like almonds also. But like I said, my sinuses have seen better days.

Others have noted that it is remarkably light on the palette and I agree. Sometimes you want a Guinness and sometimes you don't. This is one refreshing nut brown ale!

Very good beer. First time having it. Dark copper color, not a lot of head but it will stay covering the top of the beer the whole way through. Minimal lacing. Gorgeous, deep nutty, roasted malt smell. The taste is significant, sweet yet complex for a 5%. A little bit of raisin, some malt, peanutty (that's a word right?) balanced. Really tasty beer for being 5%. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

I am really starting to understand why Samuel Smith's has been around for so long.

L: Pours a beautiful deep dark amber with a two finger head. The head takes a good 5 minutes to fully recede to a thin layer and halo leaving behind beautiful lacing on the glass.

S: Smells a bit malty at first with only the slightest booziness right after pouring but there is also a smooth, sweet, nutty scent there that gives away the treasure ahead.

T: Wow. This is an amazing brown ale. Probably the best I have tried. The malt is perfectly balanced as is the mild nut flavor and there is a sweetness to the whole affair that is not overboard but just enough. Very impressed.

F: As with most Samuel Smith's I have tried the feel is close to perfect. Just enough carbonation and you can tell the water they brag about is more than marketing. They claim it to be 'dry' on the label but I don't know that I would describe it that way. A slightly dry finish perhaps.

Overall this is an utterly fantastic brown ale that is of a highest quality like all of Samuel Smith's beers. I would buy it again and most certainly will.

Pours a clear, dark, shiny, chestnut body that transforms to a bright ruby when held to the light. A tall, foamy, three-finger in height, beige coloured head dissipates quickly, leaving behind patchy bands of soapy lace.

The nose consists primarily of lightly roasted malts, and subtler aromas of fruity yeast and floral hops. Taste roughly follows suit. Lightly roasted malts, traces of caramel and touches of slightly sweet toasted barley/ grain lead the flavour profile upfront. Towards the middle, faint fruity yeast becomes noticeable, along with some earthy, vaguely nutty flavours. On the end, moderately bitter floral hops and dry roasted grains provide excellent balance to the initial sweetness, while touches of burnt caramel have the last say, as they are left lingering on the palate. In the mouth, a medium body and moderately lively carbonation give a smooth and crisp feel that dries out just enough in the finish to encourage another sip.

Overall this is a very good beer. It’s well balanced, easy drinking and refreshing but the nuttiness and toffee flavours I enjoy in the style are a little underplayed. As a session beer, its low ABV% and huge drinkability combined with just enough character to keep you interested however would make it an excellent choice for this purpose. Recommended.

Pours a medium brown with a medium sticky head,the aroma is of course nutty and malty sweet.The taste is pretty rich for the appearance pretty nutty and earthy with a sweet malt backbone.Somewhat with a lighter looking brown ale with such a rich taste to it.Not a bad brew but maybe a little overated.

This was an okay beer, just too sweet for me and not the taste I was looking for. Had a sweet strong honey taste. I enjoy the oatmeal stout much more. Glad I only bought one bottle of this to sample. Priced too high for the rather average amount of ABV.

This beer is a dark rust/brown with a big foamy khaki head that falls quickly the a 1/2 inch layer and leaves an elegant, stringy lacing.

The nose is light brown sugar, malt, and extremely faint hops and apple.

I get hops first in the taste. They are earthy and spicy and backed by a sweet nut toffee flavor. Occasional hint of nugat. Big ale fruitiness toward the end, almost tastes like pear. Finishes with a light spice bouqet and a suprising earthy aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is mid bodied and lively. Perhaps just a tiny bit thick. This is a light, playful, but still very complex beer I could drink gallons of.

A good low alcohol brown ale with a rich maltiness and complex flavor that never fails to please. A lot of brown ales have a high alcohol content which takes away from the malt flavor but not in this case. This is a beer that lets those malty and nutty flavors come through.